Oil-cake-trimming machine.



PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

A. W. FRENCH.

CIL CAKE TRIMMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED OCT. 1'7, 1905.

A. W. FRENCH.

OIL CAKE TRIMMING MACHINE.

I APPLICATION FILED DBO'.16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ALFRED W. FRENCH, OF PIQUA, OHIO.

OIL-CAKE-TRINIIVIING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905 Application filed December 16, 1904:. Serial Nox 237,107.

cutters or knives which trim 0H the soft edge.

portions of the cakes.

The object of the invention is to provide efficient cutters of simple, inexpensive, and durable construction for cutting off the corners of the cakes.

. ln the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cake-trimming machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the corner-cutters. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of' the corner-cutters in line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the corner-cutters.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

The machine illustrated is of that kind in which the conveyers and cutters are so arranged that the cakes are first moved in one direction and have two opposite edges trimmed and are then moved in a direct-ion at right angles to the iirst-mentioned direction and have the remaining two edges trimmed. As the corner-cutters forming the subject-matter of this invention are ordinarily used for cutting off, the corners of the cakes after their edges have been trimmed and as it is desirable to remove both the soft edges and corners in a single operation in one machine, the corner-cutters are herein shown and described as a part of a machine of the kind mentioned which first trims the several edges of the cakes. The corner-cutters can, however, be used independently of edge-trimming mechanism and kin other kinds of trimming-machines.

The horizontal work-table is composed of two portions 1 and 2, which are arranged at right angles to each other and over which each oil cake 3 is moved successively. The primary portion 1 of the table is provided with a conveyer 4, which may consist of two parallel chains, and the secondary portion 2 of the table is provided with a conveyer 5, which may consist of a single chain. Each chain is arranged with its upper portion in a longitudinal slot or groove 6 in the table and is provided with projecting pushers 7 at suitable distances apart. These pushers engage against the rear edges of the cakes and push the latter forwardly over the table. The conveyer-chains run around sprocket-wheels 8 and are driven. by suitable mechanism (not shown) at a relative speed such that the primary conveyer will not feed the cakes to the secondary conveyer faster than the latter moves them past the secondary cutters. The primary and secondary portions of the table have raised side'portions 9, which form guides between which the cakes are confined laterally.

The cakes are piled on the primary table in a feed-receptacle which consists of upright bars 10 and 11, secured, respectively, to the table and to a cross-piece or bridge 12. The uprghts 11 are vertically adjustable on the bridge, so that their lower ends can be so adjusted with reference to the table that they will allow only the lowermost cake of the pile to be pushed out by the pusher of the conveyer and will retain all the other cakes.

Each part of the work-taoie 1s provided with edge-trimming' cutters of any known or suitable kind arranged on opposite sides of the path of the cakes. Stationary cutters arranged in sets are shown, each set consisting of several knives located one behind the other and at different distances from the path of the cakes or in echelon, so that each cake in moving past the set of cutters comes in contact with one cutter after another. Each cutter removes a thin strip from the edge of the cake. The number of cutters in each set may be more or less, three being shown in the primary sets and two in the secondary sets.

The mechanism for cutting off the corners of the cakes is preferably constructed as follows: Two oppositely-disposed movable holders 13 are located at opposite sides of the path of the oil cakes, preferably on the secondary portion of the table in rear of the secondary edge-cutters. Each holder is provided with an outwardly-facing oblique front knife 14 and an inwardly-facing oblique rear knife 15. The two front knives converge rearwardly, or in the direction in which the cake is moved past the same, while the rear knives diverge rearwardly. In the construction shown the knife-holders are slidably mounted on a fixed transverse horizontal bar 16 and are pressed against adjustable stops 17 on said bar by IOO IOS

springs 18, connecting-arms projecting from the knife-holders and stops. The stops 17 can be adjustably secured to the bar by screws 19 or other means. The rearwardly-converging front knives are pressed apart as the cake enters between them, thereby producing two oblique cuts which remove the front corners of the cake. and the two knife-holders are held apart by the cake bearing against depending portions 20 on the holders. When the cake passes these bearing portions of the holders, the latter approach each other under the pressure of the springs 18 and cause the diver-ging rear knives to produce two oblique cuts which remove the rear corners of the cake. The rear corner-cutters are secured to and depend from Shanks 2l, adjustably secured to the holders, as by screws 22, so that they can be properly adjusted with respect to the front cutters. While corner-cutters constructed as described are deemed preferable, the holders can be movably mounted and pressed toward each other in other Ways and the construction otherwise changed withoutv departing from the invention.

The cakes can be centered on the table between the edge or corner cutters, if necessary, by sprin, guides, such as indicated at 23, Fig. 2, or by other known devices, and they are held down on the table while being moved along by rollers 24 or other weighted devices which bearI upon the cakes.

rIhe operation of the machine is as follows: The cakes are piled in the feed-receptacle upon the primary portion 1 of the table. This receptacle holds all of the cakes of the pile against movement,except the lowermost cake. The cakes are moved from the bottom of this pile one after another by the pushers 7 on the ends and sides have been so trimmed the cakes are moved past the corner-cutters and have their corners cut off.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a trimming-machine, the combination of cutters for removing portions of the side edges of the cakes, cutters for removing the corners onlyof the trimmed cakes, and means for moving the cakes first past the edge-cutters and then past the corner-cutters, substantially as set forth.

2. In a trimming-machine, the combination of cutters arranged on opposite sides of the path of the cakes for-removing portions of the side edges of the cakes, cutters arranged on Opposite sides of the path of the cakes in rear of the edge-cutters for removing thecorners only of the cakes, and a conveyer for moving the cakes successively past the edge-cutters and corner-cutters. substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of cutters for removing the corners of the cakes by the movement of the one past the other, and means which prevent the cutters from action on the side edges of the cake, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of means for moving the cakes, and cutters for removing the corners of the cakes, said cutters being held by the cakes from action on the side edges of the cakes, substantially as set forth.

5. In a trimming-machine, cutters which remove the corners only of the cakes and past which the cakes are moved and which act automatically to remove first the fronty corners and then the rear corners of the cakes, substantially as set forth.

6. In a trimming-machine, corner-cutters past which the cakes are moved, said cutters having knives for removing the front corners of the cakes and other knives for removing the rear corners of the cakes, substantially as set forth.

7. In a trimming-machine, corner-cutters past which the cakes are moved comprising rearwardly converging knives and rearwardly-diverging knives, substantially as set forth.

8. In a trimming-machine, the combination of movable holders, means for pressing the same yieldingly toward each other. rearwardly-converging cutters secured to said holders, bearing portions on said holders which engage the cakes, and rearwardly-di verging cutters on the holders in rear of said other cutters, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 13th day of December, 1904.

ALFRED w. FRENCH.

Witnesses:

GRACE A. FRENCH, Jon. M. DINE.

IOO 

